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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27541783">Fate: Saber Learns How To Love Again</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hatsage7/pseuds/Hatsage7'>Hatsage7</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>"But it's not that complicated." [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fate/stay night &amp; Related Fandoms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dating, Fluff, Multi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:00:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,903</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27541783</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hatsage7/pseuds/Hatsage7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Shirou and Rin have loved each other (and Artoria) for a very, very long time. Artoria is... getting there. It's something she still struggles with, even after all these years. Thank *goodness* it's so easy to date in the modern day.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Emiya Shirou/Arturia Pendragon | Saber/Tohsaka Rin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>"But it's not that complicated." [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1726174</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fate: Saber Learns How To Love Again</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this is the more domestic part of what you might call my polycule fic! it will mostly be focusing on the three principal characters going on dates, standard fluffy slow-moving romance stuff, etc. I may be posting a few chapters as standalone fics, if they're different/long-winded/just good. a few chapters will also be based on episodes from the Emiya Gohan anime, so... yeah.</p><p>the smut will be a different fic altogether (though obv in the same series, and certain scenes will be just a liiiiiitle spicy). Consider Swordplay as a sort of line of demarcation between cute fluff and sauce, if you like. i'd like to publish the chapters somewhat chronologically, but once in a while i may just say "fuck it" and upload an erotic chapter just for the chatharsis.</p><p>With the mission statement out of the way: here's the misadventures of Artoria's love life! I hope y'all enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>          Artoria’s eyes went wide as she pulled the taiyaki from the bag, ooh-ing and ah-ing in excitement. There were so many foods that Shirou had shown her that she loved, but even after all this time, she was still amazed by the simple little pastry. It was bread… filled with delicious bean paste… shaped like a <em> fish </em>.</p><p> </p><p>          She was a little loathe to eat it, truth be told. Then she took that first tentative nibble, and suddenly she had to fight the compulsion to shove the whole thing into her mouth.</p><p> </p><p>          Shirou, who was sitting next to her, gave a little chuckle at her obvious delight, and her thoughts were instantly thrown away from the taiyaki and back to the reason for their expedition today.</p><p> </p><p>          In truth, it was a day much like any other: Rin, Shirou, and herself were out on the town, having already eaten lunch and now just wandering idly past the various shopfronts in the Fuyuki market. Rin would be eager to look at the local bookshops and perhaps find some trinkets for Sakura in the open-air market, and Shirou would, of course, be by her side until he started thinking about food, at which point he was likely to forget he wasn’t by himself and start shopping for groceries. She knew all this from past experience. This was far from the first day like this that Saber had spent with either of them.</p><p> </p><p>          However, it <em> was </em> the first time that they had done something like this… <em> together </em>. In a romantic capacity. It was… a date.</p><p> </p><p>          And that made things very different.</p><p> </p><p>          Sure, the other two were acting perfectly natural, chatting with each other about various subjects while she enjoyed her pastry, but -- it was a date! They were no longer a couple and their companion, they were -- a triple. A thruple? (Terrible word.) Artoria was acutely aware that everything she did or said would be taken in a different context now. Even the simple act of eating a favored treat might be taken as being “cute”. Is that why Shirou looked over at her? Had he thought she was… cute?</p><p> </p><p>          She blushed, and quickly finished off the last of the Taiyaki, finishing off the crispy tail in a single bite. She swallowed, then spoke up nervously. “S-so! Where to now?”</p><p> </p><p>          Rin and Shirou looked at each other, then turned back to face Artoria and spoke at the same time. “There’s a bowling alley -- .” “We thought that karaoke would be --”</p><p> </p><p>          They turned back around to glare at each other. Evidently there was some disagreement. Rin said firmly, “I thought we agreed on doing a physical activity, Shirou. Bowling’s fun!”</p><p> </p><p>          “Bowling is competitive,” he said, “which is why you like it. It’s a great idea for a date, but we need more than three people --”</p><p> </p><p>          “Oh, because three-person karaoke is a <em> blast </em> --”</p><p> </p><p>          “They’re having half-off on drinks at karaoke, <em> Rin </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>          “You can’t put a price on bowling for the first time, <em> Shi-rou! </em> Or the little jalapeno popper things that are all warm and cheesy --”</p><p> </p><p>          Shirou groaned audibly. “Tohsaka, bowling alley food is a war crime, and we <em> just </em> ate!”</p><p> </p><p>          “I don’t wanna work the queue at the karaoke place! That fiddly little remote has all those -- buttons, and it’s infuriating --”</p><p> </p><p>          Artoria spoke up. “Excuse me!” she said in her most commanding “I’m the goddamn king of England, you would do well to shut up and listen” voice. Shirou and Rin promptly stopped arguing and looked at her with the appropriate amount of apprehension and alertness.</p><p> </p><p>          She sighed in an attempt to relieve some of the tension. She knew that Rin and Shirou were bickering out of affection, not anger… but she also didn’t want to be stuck between the two for however long it took for one of them to flush and admit defeat.</p><p> </p><p>           “Why don’t we just,” she said diplomatically, “go to both? I certainly don’t have an overwhelming desire for anything in particular. Surely that would be the best course of action if neither of you <em>really</em> has a problem with the other’s activity.”</p><p> </p><p>          Shirou was the first to speak, after taking a moment to clear his throat. “Bowling’s a lot of fun, actually! I’d be okay with that.”</p><p> </p><p>          “Yeah, sure,” Rin grumbled by way of agreeing. “And I guess drinking in a small karaoke room <em> does </em> sound nice and cozy. B-but we should still do bowling first!”</p><p> </p><p>          Shirou just laughed and placed a kiss on the top of her head, which prompted another bit of loud outrage. The fact that Rin didn’t make an effort to remove his hand from her waist, nor her hand on his, made it more endearing than threatening.</p><p> </p><p>          The three of them got up and headed down the street. And as Shirou put an arm around Artoria’s shoulders, Saber was reminded that, yes -- this was most definitely a date.</p><p>          She <em> really </em> wanted the night to go well.</p><p> </p><p>----------</p><p>          “God <em> damn </em> you! Fie! Curse you, you foul creation!”</p><p> </p><p>          Artoria huffed and puffed in pure rage, as her seventh ball of the night toppled over a measly three pins, with the fourth spinning and spinning in place as it <em> steadfastly refused to fall, dammit! </em> She stormed back around to their booth and took an angry bite from the cheeseburger she had gotten for herself, which was the <em> only </em> good thing about this hall of nightmares.</p><p> </p><p>          Rin gave her a sympathetic look. “Cheer up, Saber! You did better that time. You might be able to get a spare or even just a few more pins! Nobody bowls a perfect game on their first -- try…” She quickly shoved a jalapeno popper in her mouth before noisily washing it down with soda, presumably to avoid the wrath of Artoria’s baleful gaze.</p><p> </p><p>          “The ball keeps curving into the <em> bloody </em> gutter,” she hissed, regrettably allowing some of her accent to creep into her voice. “I don’t know how to make the bl- the blasted thing go where I want it to go.” She was <em> very </em>glad that the arena was empty, so no one save the three of them (and a sleeping employee) were witness to her failure.</p><p> </p><p>          Shirou stood up and walked over to the… ball dispensing… rolling… device. “It’s tricky, Artoria. I’d like to show you how to do it if that’s okay.”</p><p> </p><p>          She groaned, but trudged over to retrieve her ball regardless (it was blue, needless to say). “I know how to bowl, Shirou. I’ve been watching you and Rin cast the balls down the… lane?” He nodded, affirming her word choice. She mimed rolling the ball. “Three holes, three fingers, throw, strike!”</p><p> </p><p>          Rin snorted from the booth. “Heh. Keep talking about fingers in holes, Saber~.”</p><p> </p><p>          Saber rolled her eyes. “I do <em> not </em> understand how to make it go where I want it to. Why does it <em> curve </em>, Shirou!?”</p><p> </p><p>          He gestured for her to step forward. She huffed, but obliged him, standing a few steps behind the line.</p><p> </p><p>          Shirou sidled up behind her, one hand on her waist and the other pointing over her shoulder. His body was pressing gently against hers, his cheek practically brushing up against hers, in a situation reminiscent of their training sessions together when she would correct his stance. She tried and failed not to get distracted by the closeness of his body and the warmth of his breath in her ear… </p><p> </p><p>          She refocused when she realized he had asked her a question. She turned her head to face him directly. “Er, s-sorry, could you please repeat that? I didn’t quite catch it.”</p><p> </p><p>          He smiled. “I said that bowling was a game about physics, and I was wondering if you remembered playing pool, since it was also that sort of game.”</p><p> </p><p>          “Er -- y-yes, vaguely. But that sport was all about force and angles. I fail to see what that has to do with bowling…”</p><p> </p><p>          “Well, the lane isn’t actually uniform. Some parts are more slippery than others. The middle has very little friction compared to the sides and that last meter or so.”</p><p> </p><p>          Artoria sighed. She looked at the wood carefully, but it seemed uniformly shiny to her. “I suppose I’ll take your word for it… so, what does that mean?” </p><p> </p><p>          “It means that any spin you put on the ball when you throw it won’t affect it much until the very end, and then it’ll suddenly curve. Thrown properly, you can reliably get strikes. Rin’s very good at it, and I’d like to think I’m decent myself.”</p><p> </p><p>          She bit down on a quip about his archery talent extending to other projectiles. “So I should be… using the curve? Planning for it?”</p><p> </p><p>          “Yep! Or I suppose you could just throw really, really hard straight down the middle, without turning your wrist. That might be simpler for starting out actually…”</p><p> </p><p>          “I see! I shall take your advice then, and change my strategy going forward.” She paused for a moment. “Ah, you may take your hands back now.”</p><p> </p><p>          “Hm? O-oh! Right, o-of course.” He blushed and stepped back, as if suddenly how intimate they had gotten.</p><p> </p><p>          Artoria smiled, warmed at how chivalrous he could be. She turned her attention back to the task at hand -- throwing the ball perfectly straight, with a strictly lateral movement of her hand.</p><p> </p><p>          She took a deep breath. She mimed rolling the ball right down the center; once, twice, stepping forward… then releasing it.</p><p> </p><p>          The ball rolled down the polished wood of the lane. It kept rolling, and rolling… and rolled straight on, striking the pins just off of center! The ones she had failed to hit with her first ball all toppled over now! A loud clatter came from the other end of the lane, percussive and deeply satisfying.</p><p> </p><p>          “Hey, Saber, congratulations! That’s a very nice spare!” Shirou placed a hand on her shoulder. </p><p> </p><p>          She whirled around, pulling him into a hug and laughing in triumph. She could feel a bit of apprehension in the set of his shoulders, but it quickly melted away as he spun around with her in his arms. A very pleasant, domestic warmth filled her chest, not merely at having succeeded at the activity, but at <em> finally </em> understanding and being able to enjoy another part of the modern world with the two people she cared about most.</p><p> </p><p>          They stopped spinning in place, Shirou looking into her eyes and her into his. They quickly broke eye contact, embarrassed at how excited they had been over a simple game -- but they remained in an embrace. Artoria kept her hand firmly on Shirou’s waist, holding him as close to her as he had been moments earlier.</p><p> </p><p>          “Thank you for your assistance, Shirou,” she said, bowing her head slightly. “I look forward to, ah… destroying you at bowling from this point on.”</p><p> </p><p>          He put a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing too rudely, and his laughter was joined with another’s as Rin sidled up next to them. She retrieved her ball, patted Artoria on her back, and said, “It’s a marked improvement, Saber, and I look forward to a <em> real </em> challenge instead of just beating Shirou over and over again. However, it’s time for you to sit back and watch a master at work~.”</p><p> </p><p>          Shirou and Artoria sported similarly nervous looks, having properly stoked Rin’s competitive flame. Artoria tried to remain encouraging. “I-Indeed! Best of luck, Rin.” The two of them sat back down at their table while Rin took her turn.</p><p> </p><p>          Artoria was suddenly feeling much better, now that she understood the circumstances at play. Now, she felt that she could properly enjoy her time with the other two, rather than being frustrated by the mechanics of a new sport. At the very least, it was more fun than <em> baseball </em> had been, and she was now actually looking forward to the rest of their time here.</p><p> </p><p>          Who knows: perhaps this was even the beginning of a comeback for her!</p><p> </p><p>----------</p><p> </p><p>          It had not ended up being a comeback for her.</p><p> </p><p>          “The winner taaakes it aaaaalll! The loser has to fall! It’s si~imple and it’s plaaaaaain, <em> why </em> should <em> you </em> complaaaaain?”</p><p> </p><p>          Rin thrust her manicured finger under Artoria’s nose, forcing her to go cross-eyed for a moment. She looked up and attempted to glare at her, but the other woman had already turned her attention to Shirou.</p><p> </p><p>          Rin had -- “naturally”, she had said <em> repeatedly </em>-- won all of the three matches they had played at the bowling alley, having bowled two perfect games. Artoria had gotten better as they played, and she felt proud of her rapid improvement, but Shirou and Rin were nailing strike after strike. Shirou bowled nearly perfect games himself, only occasionally getting a spare in place of a strike. (This was either due to him intentionally flubbing shots or Rin’s incredibly bad sportsmanship distracting him during his turn; Artoria had not yet determined what mixture of the two was accurate.)</p><p> </p><p>          Rin was still crooning to Shirou. “But tell me, does she kiss… like I used to kiss you~? Does it feel the saaaame, when she calls your naaame? Somewhere deeeeeep inside… you must know I miss you. But, what can I say? Rules must be obeeeeeeeyed.”</p><p> </p><p>          She had also gotten drunk <em> very </em> quickly, which explained why she had been choosing increasingly victorious songs, with increasingly energetic dance routines to accompany them. Artoria had been… hesitant to sing, even in private.</p><p> </p><p>          She whirled around, facing the screen and belting once more. “The judges wi~ill deciiiide! Something, something… uh, always stay aloooooong! The game is ooon agaaaaain! The winner takes it aaaaaall! The winner takes it aaaaaall! The winner takes it aaaaaaaaaaall!”</p><p> </p><p>          Shirou snorted, then had a sudden coughing fit. “I’m, uh, impressed that you’re getting the lyrics wrong when they’re on the screen, Tohsaka.”</p><p> </p><p>          “It’s an improvement -- oh god, it’s the sad part. Ahhhhh, man. Uh… shit.” She stumbled off of the table, and flopped down on the couch next to Artoria. Her head flopped onto Artoria’s shoulder. </p><p> </p><p>          She smiled despite herself. “You seem to be enjoying yourself, Rin.”</p><p> </p><p>          The tipsy woman giggled. “That’s because <em> I’m </em> a winner, n’I’m here with my very, <em> very </em> cozy friends.” She wrapped an arm around Artoria, trying to drag herself into her lap.</p><p> </p><p>          Artoria felt herself blush. “A-ah, Rin that’s -- that’s very nice, but --”</p><p> </p><p>          “Ooh! Wait, wait, wait!” She scrambled back on top of the table, nearly knocking over the plates and cups strewn there. “The winner takes it aaaaaaall! The winner takes it aaaaaall!” She improvised a dance routine as the song closed out on the chorus, which involved a significant amount of shaking her hips and pointing. “So -- the -- win~ner. Takes -- it -- aa~all. And -- the -- lo~sers. Have -- to -- fa~all.”</p><p> </p><p>          Artoria was still admittedly a bit unclear on all of the nuances of karaoke. She didn’t think that the performer was required to sing the outro as Rin was, especially since it ended on a chorus. However -- she would be lying if she said she wasn’t at least a little appreciative of the way her short black skirt flicked from side to side, punctuating each syllable.</p><p> </p><p>          The song finally faded out, leaving Rin taking her bows to imaginary applause. She gestured with the mic, "who's next? C'mon, I gotta wet my whistle here!"</p><p> </p><p>          "Ah, Shirou, would you care to take another turn?" Artoria said politely by way of deflection.</p><p><br/>          Shirou lifted his hands. “Ah, I've had enough fun for now. I'll sweep in at the end and sing songs that won't ruin my voice, once Rin has had her fill.”</p><p> </p><p>          “Mmm, sorry 'bout that again,” Rin said, referring to the slip of the tongue she had made regarding Shirou's first song of the night. Specifically, that Archer tended to lead with the very same song, which had put him off singing for a while. He seemed to enjoy watching and tapping the tambourine, though.</p><p> </p><p>          “It's fine, really,” he reassured her, before abruptly changing the topic. “So, Artoria! I think I'm gonna insist on you singing next.”</p><p> </p><p>          “O-oh, no, thank you, but I feel --”</p><p> </p><p>          “Ahhhhh, c'mon Saber!” Rin said cheerfully. “It's fun! It's not like we're going to be judging your voice or anything; it's <em> karaoke </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>          “Try at least one song, at least. It can be short if you're really uncomfortable, but I think you'll end up enjoying yourself,” Shirou said, cracking opening the massive binder of songs and pushing it into her hands.</p><p> </p><p>          “...alright then. But just a short one, and I make no guarantees about my performance!” Artoria flicked through the laminated pages of the songbook, with nothing to go by other than song name, number, length, artist/band name… precious little information. After a certain point (towards the end of the “S” section), she settled for just placing her finger on a random spot on the page and singing whatever song chance gave her. </p><p> </p><p>          Fortunately, she happened to select a song from a band that seemed to be fairly popular, given that their name kept coming up throughout the book. “Ah -- “Shake A Leg”, please! Here you are.” She passed the book over to Shirou, trusting him to correctly select the song for her.</p><p> </p><p>          He took a glance at the book. “Oh, I don’t know that I’ve ever heard that one before. I look forward to hearing it!” He began tapping buttons on the remote, setting it up in the empty queue. The title and band name flashed on the screen in friendly white letters, and Artoria stood up from the couch with the microphone in her hand.</p><p> </p><p>          Rin bolted upright. “Ooh, it’s <em> that </em> “Shake A Leg”! Saber, I didn’t know you liked rock music!”</p><p> </p><p>          She blinked. “Err… rock? Does the band --” She double-checked the band name before it disappeared from the screen as a countdown began, the song starting in earnest. “Does “Aycee Deecee”... rock?”</p><p> </p><p>          “Oh, <em> yes~ </em>. Don’t hold back!”</p><p> </p><p>          ...Artoria was now a bit apprehensive, especially as loud guitar and pounding drums began. Still, her pride wouldn't let her back down from a challenge without trying! She started to sing…</p><p> </p><p>          The lyrics were rough; not crass, but filled with a certain kind of infectious energy that she couldn't keep from leaning into. Her voice was a little unsteady at first, given how unfamiliar she was with the song, but after keying in to the melody, it rang loud and clear. She began to bob her head to the music, swaying from side to side and tapping (not stomping) her feet on the ground. She wasn't “shaking a leg” quite the way Rin had early, but she found herself enjoying herself regardless.</p><p> </p><p>          When the song finally closed out, she was breathing a little heavily and covered in a thin sheen of sweat. She turned back around with a smile on her face.</p><p> </p><p>          Rin and Shirou were staring at her wide-eyed and open-mouthed on the couch. They didn't say a word but just kept staring at her for a moment… before simultaneously erupting into furious applause.</p><p> </p><p>          Artoria rubbed the back of her head and tried to play it off. “Ah, th-thank you, but there's really no need to <em> applaud </em>…”</p><p> </p><p>          “Artoria, that was amazing! I didn't know you could sing like that,” Shirou said, a wide grin on his face.</p><p> </p><p>          “You'll make me blush, r-really!”</p><p> </p><p>          Rin leaped to her feet, grabbing another microphone and walking up next to her. “We <em> have </em>to do a duet now. Shirou -- Total Eclipse of the Heart! Do the thing, pretty please!”</p><p> </p><p>          Shirou chuckled. “Oh, it's “pretty please”, is it? You've got it bad Tohsaka; we're doing Summertime after this.”</p><p> </p><p>          “H-hey! Don't get smart with me,” she said indignantly, embarrassment further reddening her already ruddy face. She pulled an arm around Artoria's waist, which made her promptly sport a blush of her own. “Now listen, this is a really pretty song <em> made </em> for two people, so it's maybe a liiiiiitle complicated. I'll sing the woman's part, if that's okay with you, and, uhhhhhh, we can trade off on the choruses? S'what I usually do with it. Again, only if you're okay with -- uuhhhh, I mean… i-if you think you can keep up!”</p><p> </p><p>          She felt her smile widen. “I think I can manage. <em> You </em> will have to keep the dancing to a minimum, though.” She tapped Rin on the nose, and the girl went cross-eyed for a moment. Artoria could practically see the gears in her head grind to a halt.</p><p> </p><p>          “Uhhhhhh… y-yeah, whatever you say! Let's do it!”</p><p> </p><p>----------</p><p> </p><p>          “Mamaaaaaa…. Just kiiilled a man… but my gun against his head, pulled my trigger now he's dee~aaad…” </p><p> </p><p>          Shirou and Rin, both drunk and enabling each other to act as goofy as they saw fit, were draped on either side of Artoria as she dragged them both home. They were performing a warbly rendition of the song they had closed out the night with. The song they had been singing for the last 20 minutes. In <em> excruciating </em> Stereo.</p><p> </p><p>          “Most people are asleep, you know,” Artoria chided. “You might at least consider turning it down a notch.”</p><p> </p><p>          “Mmmm<em> ma-maaaaaa </em>--”</p><p> </p><p>          “Oh, look at that! We’re home! (Thank God.)”</p><p> </p><p>          The three of them shambled inside, and were just about able to take their shoes off and get through the door before collapsing in the middle of the living room.</p><p> </p><p>          Rin groaned. “I don’t regret anyth’ng… but in the future, one date’s’prob’ly enough. Two is too much.” </p><p> </p><p>          “Yeeeeah,” Shirou reluctantly agreed, “two and a half, if’n you count lunch. Artoria…. Did’ja have a good time tonight?”</p><p> </p><p>          She smiled. “I did. I really and truly did.”</p><p> </p><p>          He hummed thoughtfully. “Good… and it wasn’t, like… dunno. Weird? Felt okay thinking of it as a date.”</p><p> </p><p>          “I was surprised by how much I enjoyed myself, actually,” she said, rolling onto her back and staring up at the ceiling. “It felt nicer than usual. It’s always pleasant when we do anything together, but <em> knowing </em> that we were… <em> together… </em> it made it feel special.”</p><p> </p><p>          She continued to speak. “Shirou, Rin… I have <em> tremendous </em> affection for both of you. At risk of being sentimental, you two are perhaps the most important people in the world to me. I…” She died off, struggling to find the right words. “I care for you deeply, and you both make me feel so… complete. So at ease. But the last thing that I would ever want to do is to hurt you, and I have been a truly terrible partner in the past. The two of you are already so intimate, and I <em> want </em> to be a part of something that makes you happy… a-and makes me happy, as well… but I need to keep things simple, and ease into this slowly.” </p><p> </p><p>          She sighed, a little shaky. “I know that’s a lot to ask, but tonight was so much <em> fun </em>, and I cannot risk losing that very very special bond that we all share by indulging too much, too quickly. Does that make sense?” </p><p> </p><p>          ...there was no answer. Artoria sat up and saw that Rin and Shirou had fallen asleep. Their fingers were still loosely curled around her own.</p><p> </p><p>          She sighed again, then chuckled to herself. Her luck was still as facile as ever. She turned to place a kiss on Shirou’s forehead, then to Rin’s, then she carefully scooped them up one at a time on her back, and carried them to their room. She didn’t tuck them under the covers…</p><p> </p><p>          ...and she didn’t join them, this time. With a fond smile, she walked out and shut the door behind her.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>was this out of character? almost definitely. i also indulged in my habit of just wrapping it up, but y'know what? i still had a good time! i hope y'all did too!</p><p>no, the karaoke scene didn't start an elaborate setup to make a joke about Kate Higgins (voice of Saber in FSN, among other roles) being a jazz singer, But It Certainly Turned Out That Way</p></blockquote></div></div>
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